Plenty of good businesses run on a free Gmail address, and it works. But at some point you may wonder whether an address like hello@yourbusiness.com.au is worth the effort. Here is an honest look at both options.
What the difference is
A free address looks like yourbusiness@gmail.com. It belongs to the free email provider, and you use their name.
A business address looks like hello@yourbusiness.com.au. It uses your own domain, which is your web address. If you are not sure about domains, domain, hosting and website explains the pieces. Email at your own domain is a separate service that sits alongside your website, and you can use it with or without one.
When a free address is fine
Be honest with yourself here, because you do not have to spend money you do not need to.
- You are just starting out and testing the idea.
- You work through word of mouth, and customers already know and trust you.
- You do not email many people, and you are comfortable with the address you have.
- A tidy, professional looking free address is available, such as your name or business name, without strings of numbers.
If that is you, a free address is a perfectly reasonable choice for now. Just keep it professional and avoid nicknames and old jokes from school.
When your own domain is worth it
- It looks more established. Customers, councils and suppliers tend to take an address at your own domain a bit more seriously, especially for quotes and invoices.
- It matches your website and card. The same name everywhere is easier to remember and to trust.
- It is yours to take with you. If you ever change email provider, the address can move with you, because it belongs to your domain and not to the provider.
- You can have several addresses. For example, hello@ for enquiries and accounts@ for invoices, and add addresses for staff.
Business email is usually a paid service, often a small monthly fee for each mailbox, though some registrars include simple forwarding that sends mail from your domain address to an inbox you already use. Compare what is on offer, and read what it costs after any introductory period.
What to check so you stay in control
This is the part that matters, and it is the same as with your domain and website.
- The domain is registered in your name. Whoever holds the domain controls the email on it. Our guide on who actually owns your website shows how to check.
- The email accounts are in your name, with an admin login that you hold, not one that sits with a designer or an old employee.
- You use an email address you will always have access to for the account, so password resets and renewal notices reach you.
- You know what you pay, when it renews and how. Put the date in your calendar.
- You can get into every mailbox. If an employee leaves, you should be able to take over their mail.
If you cannot answer these, it is worth sorting out before something goes wrong. A lapsed domain can take your email down with it.
Moving from Gmail to your own address
If you decide to switch, do it gently. Set up the new address, then keep the old one running for a while. Update your website, business cards, invoices, Google Business Profile and social pages. Put a note in your old email signature, and reply from the new address so people get used to it. Do not close the old account too quickly, because customers will still write to it for months.
Watch the spam folder
Whichever you choose, send a test message to a friend using Gmail, and ask whether it arrived in their inbox or their spam folder. Emails from a form on your website should also arrive reliably. Our ten minute self check covers testing your contact form.
So, which one?
If your budget is tight and customers already trust you, stay with a tidy free address and revisit later. If you are building a website and want everything to look consistent, an address at your own domain is a sensible step. Either way, make sure the accounts are yours. If you would like to talk it through, tell us about your business for a free 15 minute call.